Tom Orange, general manager at Marriott Leeds, which is hosting this year’s award ceremony, said: “There are a lot of hotels in this city employing a lot of people and the Leeds Hotels & Venues Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate everyone’s hard work, including the people behind the scenes, who are not always seen but remain the backbone of the industry.

Buzz

“The awards create a buzz and give recognition to those who are nominated as well as those who go on to win.

“If you take care of your work-force they’ll take care of your customers.”

Collectively, the Association looks after 5,000 of the city’s bedrooms, employs 3,500 staff and turns over £170 million each year.

The LHVA awards were first launched in 2008.

This year the seven categories are Rising Star, Exceptional Customer Service, Bright Idea, Top Team, Leeds Live it Love it, Mentor and Unsung Hero.

The competition has now closed and the winners will be announced at a black tie dinner at Leeds Marriott Hotel on Thursday, June 16.

The LHVA aims to raise the profile of Leeds as a national and international destination for business and leisure.